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UFC 230 Results: Daniel Cormier, Ronaldo Souza Headline Main Card Winners
November 4, 2018
Madison Square Garden got to witness history, as Daniel Cormier closed out UFC 230 by successfully defending his heavyweight championship via second-round submission against Derrick Lewis in Saturday's main event.
The victory made Cormier the first UFC fighter to defend two belts concurrently, as DC is also the champion of the light heavyweight division.
Lewis came in with a puncher's chance, but DC showed very quickly that he was going to have to catch him early in the round for that to matter. Cormier had his first takedown locked in after taking just one strike, and that set the tone for the matchup.
Lewis was able to survive the first round, but the pattern of domination would continue in the second frame. Cormier secured another takedown and didn't hesitate to look for the finish.
After some ground-and-pound and slick transitions, Cormier found Lewis' neck and locked in a rear-naked choke to get the win.
In his post-fight interview, Cormier once again talked about a fight with WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.
It was a memorable night of fights in the Big Apple. Not only did Cormier successfully defend his belt, but Israel Adesanya announced his arrival in the upper tier of the middleweight division, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza looked like a contender and Jared Cannonier pulled off a big upset.
Here's a look at all the results from the evening.
Main card
- Daniel Cormier def. Derrick Lewis via rear-naked choke (R2, 2:14)
- Ronaldo Souza def. Chris Weidman via TKO (R3, 2:46)
- Jared Cannonier def. David Branch via TKO (R2, 0:29)
- Karl Roberson def. Jack Marshman via unanimous decision
- Israel Adesanya def. Derek Brunson via TKO (R1, 4:51)
Undercard
- Jordan Rinaldi def. Jason Knight via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 30-26)
- Sijara Eubanks def. Roxanne Modafferi via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Sheymon Moraes def. Julio Arce via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-26)
- Lyman Good def. Ben Saunders via KO (R1, 1:32)
- Matt Frevola vs. Lando Vannata ruled majority draw (29-28 Frevola, 28-28 x2)
- Shane Burgos def. Kurt Holobaugh via armbar (R1, 2:11)
- Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Adam Wieczorek via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Chris Weidman vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza
An All-American wrestler and a world-class jiu-jitsu practitioner got together for an old-fashioned kickboxing match in the co-main event.
New York native Chris Weidman and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza were all about the striking exchanges throughout their three-round fight. Weidman utilized smooth combinations early and often, while the Brazilian continued to pick away at the body.
In the third round, that strategy finally paid off. Souza cracked Weidman to the ribs with a knee and set up the finish with a combination of his own.
It was a devastating loss for Weidman. It appeared that he was at least on his way to a closely fought decision with a good case to win before the punch put him down.
After a 1-4 stretch in his last five fights, it might be time to consider a new weight class.
For Souza, the time is now if he's going to make a run at the championship. The 38-year-old isn't getting any younger, and this win should give him considerable momentum.
David Branch vs. Jared Cannonier
Jared Cannonier is pretty good at the whole fighting at middleweight thing. The former heavyweight and light heavyweight made a huge statement in his new division with a second-round TKO win over David Branch.
This was one of the biggest upsets of the night, as Branch was supposed to be fighting Jacare Souza before the latter was moved to the co-main event, forcing Cannonier onto the card on short notice. Instead of simply doing the company a favor, Cannonier floored Branch with a right hand and finished up with strikes on the ground.
Branch is a former World Series of Fighting middleweight champion and No. 7 fighter in the division, so the odds were definitely stacked in his favor.
After the bout, Cannonier certainly sounded like a man who wasn't surprised that he came out on top:
As evidenced by four fights on this main card taking place at middleweight, Cannonier's new division is already a crowded one. However, a win over the likes of Branch can't be ignored when considering what The Killa Gorilla was able to do on short notice.
Karl Roberson vs. Jack Marshman
Results for prospects from Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series have been a bit of a mixed bag, but Karl Roberson did a bit to show that he's a legit prospect in a unanimous-decision win over Jack Marshman.
Roberson wasn't able to get the finish, but he did showcase a well-rounded skill set. The kickboxing wasn't surprising given his amateur kickboxing background, but this double-leg takedown certainly caught the attention of onlookers.
The win put Roberson back on track after dropping a first-round submission loss to Cezar Ferreira in May.
Marshman is now 1-3 in his last four fights, which puts his employment status with the UFC in question going forward.
Israel Adesanya vs. Derek Brunson
Anyone watching the fight between Israel Adesanya and Derek Brunson is going to have a hard time showing restraint in praising The Last Stylebender's performance.
Adesanya was nearly flawless in answering all the questions surrounding the undefeated rising star. His ability to handle the wrestling of a ranked opponent in the No. 6 Brunson was confirmed, as he defended takedowns well while still picking apart Brunson on the feet.
Finally, a well-timed knee put Brunson on skates and started the late first-round finish:
As The Ringer's Chuck Mindenhall noted, the thing that stands out most about Adesanya is just how comfortable he is in the cage:
With the devastating knockout to kick off a pay-per-view main card, Adesanya's next fight should be against a top contender.